Love my Mini more than my iPad 4. Both use a 4:3 aspect ratio which, for me, is far more useful than the 16:9 screens used by most tablets (and unfortunately the new iPhone). Retina displays are great but the resolution on the Mini is more than adequate (# of dots /area is way higher than that of the iPad2).

Nice article. Really enjoyed the points you made.

philip

Roland:

Posted: 2012-11-25 @ 6:44pm PT

@Polimon: You make a good point -- "To criticize iPad mini because it's not tomorrow's iPad mini today is just silly and misleading." But... we all know how fast Apple introduces new products... it's always the next-gen and the next-next-gen. So, it's not crazy to tell people what's wrong with the current generation of the mini iPad. Maybe people who were considering a mini will want to hold off or simply go for the larger one.

Polimon:

Posted: 2012-11-25 @ 6:38pm PT

Author should do more research before publishing misleading articles. The iPad mini, to have a retina screen, would need a screen that does not yet exist. It would need to be 2048 x 1536 pixels, the same pixel count as the full sized iPad. This direct doubling of resolution is necessary for the iOS architecture to work. This would give it the same pixel density as iPhone 4 & 5, but in a much larger screen than iPhone 4 & 5. Not only would yields be unacceptably low, the price and energy consumption would both be too high for the form factor. Today's iPad mini is the best it can be today. To criticize iPad mini because it's not tomorrow's iPad mini today is just silly and misleading.

Nick:

Posted: 2012-11-25 @ 12:26pm PT

I'm still really excited for the iPad Mini, even if it doesn't have an incredibly unbelievable screen. My coworker at DISH originally told me about the device, and I decided early it would be perfect for me to carry around wherever I go. Normally I use my iPad to just watch live TV with the DISH Remote Access app, since my Hopper is connected to a Sling Adapter, and it'll be great to hold a smaller iPad while doing this. It doesn't have to be a perfect picture, as long as I can watch my shows!

Marcreinard:

Posted: 2012-11-25 @ 3:54am PT

Why no mention of the Nexus 7, the best tablet pound for pound?

Karl:

Posted: 2012-11-24 @ 5:40pm PT

If one uses a magnifying glass as a matter of daily habit, then the mini screen might be only okay. Most of us don't do that, and the screen is just fine. Nit picking.